Stay At Home Dads On The Rise In U.S.

525006769_e38bc535c1_z.jpg

The number of U.S. fathers who are staying at home has nearly doubled since the late 1980s, according to a new study conducted by the Pew Research Center.

Though almost one quarter of the fathers who stayed at home noted that the 2007-2009 recession was a factor, since they had trouble finding a job, one in five fathers are actually staying at home solely to care for a family. According to Pew, that statistic is a four-fold increase from 1989.

Senior researcher Gretchen Livingston noted that the merging of gender roles has contributed to men taking on more care giving tasks and women increasingly becoming breadwinners. One sure sign of the convergence is the fact that fathers have spent more time with their children since the 1980s – in fact, bonding time has tripled since then.

"This increase in the number and share of stay-at-home dads would certainly fit with that," Livingston said.

Interestingly, the rise in stay at home fathers coincided with fathers not living with their children. About 16 percent of fathers live apart from their young children, according to the report. In terms of race, the study found that blacks and Hispanics are less likely to be living with their children than whites.

Another part of the study found that the biggest portion of stay at home dads are not in the workforce because of illness or disability. Though this applies to 35 percent of stay at home dads, the number is less than the 56 percent who stayed home for that reason in 1989. Additionally, the study found that half of fathers who stay home are living in poverty, compared to 8 percent of working fathers.

The report studied those fathers who lived with children younger than 18 and drew data from the Census Bureau.

Source: The Huffington Post / Photo Credit: Flickr


disclaimer

This information is solely for informational and educational purposes only. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, family planning, child psychology, marriage counseling and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care or mental health care provider. Neither the owners or employees of NaturalFamilyOnline.com or the author(s) of site content take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, application of medication or any other action involving the care of yourself or any family members which results from reading this site. It is always best to speak with your primary health care provider before engaging in any form of self treatment. Additional information contained in our Legal Statement

Daily Videos

In order to view the content on this page, you will need the latest version of Adobe’s Flash Player. Click here to download it.

Poll
What does your weekly dinner look like?
The whole family dines together at home
66%
The whole family dines together at a restaurant
1%
Parents and children eat separately
4%
Whoever is around eats together
19%
Every family member for themselves!
10%
Total votes: 6380